The Irish standard., 1887-12-17
the company in the drawing. room

s !, 4,
the company in the drawing room
would not be tolerated. !. a
& It did seem at first as if Salistury's
threat was merely a blind, ard that
matters in Ireland would be allowed to-
proceed about the same as usual, but
the events of the past month or so leave
no room to doubt that despotism in its
most virulent form is all that Ireland
may expect while Lord Salisbury and
his bul}-headed nephew are in power.
In fact people were rather disposed to
regard the coercion act as something
that was merely intended to palliate
the thirst which English Tories have
always manifested for Irish gore. But
the Tories were in earnest. AT the
start considerable difficulty was ex-
perienced in securing the right kind of
material to enforce the provisions of
the act, but that obstacle has been
overcome, and to day they are pre-
pared to surpass all previous efforts
in the line of butchery, tyranny and
outrage. 1t is quite true that in no
quarter of the globe is the Tory Gov
ernment respected. All civilized ma
tions abhor the Infamous outrages that
are being perpetrated from day to day
upon the Irish people. ireland hates
the powers that be as she has never be-
fore, since the days when Cromwell
butchered the men, women and chill
dren of Drogheda. But has Salisbury
met with any degree Of success as col
lector of rents in arrears. is q question
that may we'll be asked, for this is his
object in inau.urating his reign of ter
ror. He detailed for service the bailitf,
backed by an armed police force, while
behind them was a reserve Of soldiers
with loaded rifles. This invading
army has laid siege to hundreds OF
wre,ched novels. They have broke
open the doors with the eyer ready
crowbar, in spite of the scalding water
thrown in their faces and triumphantly
threw both furniture-such'a as it was
and family into the highway. The ar
rears of rent, however, remain, and so
does the disgrace Of the whole proceed
ings. Able bodied English soldiers
evicting helpless women and children
and driving them to the almshouse is a
spectac)e to which modern times can
furnish few parallels.
1t was believed that the Tories would
not venture much further than this, but
such an impression has proved erron-
eous. William 0 O'Brlen has been occu.
pying a cell for some time, as has also
Chat other noble, steel-hearted patriot,
Hon. T.. D. Sullivan, Lord Mavor of
Dublin. Mr.. O'Brien was tried before
a Judge of pronounced Tory procliyi-
ties who would not be able to retain his
position ON the bench If the fearless
Journalist had been acquitted, and con
seauently the Irish patriot was con-
victed and sentenced 90 general Tory
principles. 1t matters not that MT.
O'Brien was cheered when he emerged
from the court, nor does Salisbury care
that paper of undoubted respectable
ity like the London Daily News should
pronounce the conviction Of Lord
Mayor Sullivan, "a national scandal"
and afirrns that he is a man Of Che
highest character both publicly and
privately. Next comes the warrants
for the arrest Of Messrs. Healy, Gill
and Diilol. Salisbury, Balfour 6 Co.
evidently intend to fill the prisons with
Irish patriots, and here is where the
force of Nh. Dayitt's remark quoted
above can be fully appreciated, that
'sthe nation believes that it has reached
the beginning Of the end Of one Of the
most sad and prolonged struggles for
liberty passed through by any people in
Europe Let us hope chat the end is
not far distant.
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